How Wnt signaling drives colorectal cancer in people with obesity
Official title: Wnt signaling in obesity-associated colorectal cancer
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11283961 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if blocking the Wnt pathway could help people with colorectal cancer who are obese.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | May 23, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $368,288 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA259363-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283961 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with colorectal cancer—especially those with obesity (high BMI) and tumors showing APC loss or active Wnt signaling—are the best match for this line of research.
✕Less likely to help
People without colorectal cancer or whose tumors do not show Wnt activation are unlikely to benefit from these specific findings.
What this research studies
This project focuses on why obesity makes colorectal cancer more aggressive by studying the APC gene and Wnt signaling in tumors. Researchers will use lab models and tumor samples to track how obesity raises Wnt activity in cancer stem cells and promotes growth and spread. They will test drugs that block Wnt signaling in those models and analyze human tumor data to identify which patients might benefit. The aim is to find targeted approaches that work better for obese patients whose tumors are driven by Wnt.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that specifically reduce tumor growth and spread in obese colorectal cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies have shown obesity boosts Wnt-driven tumor growth and that inhibiting Wnt can slow tumors in lab models, but clinical Wnt-targeting treatments remain limited and early stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roper, Jatin — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Roper, Jatin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.